Despite having coached his last game for the Tornado three decades ago, Al Nida's name is still etched in the King University record books. He retired as the all-time winningest coach in both men's and women's basketball history at King, compiling a 245-161 (.603) record on the men’s side and a 182-44 (.805) record at the helm of the women’s program. His 245 wins with the men stood until the 2017-18 season, and his total of 182 with the women still stands today.
Nida's King career began in 1967 after being named the replacement for former head coach Dick Davis. He engineered a remarkable turnaround in his first season with the Tornado, improving King's record from 9-17 to 17-8 in his first season as head coach. In 16 seasons at the helm in Bristol, Nida suffered just three losing seasons, and his teams won at least 15 games on 11 different occasions.
The 1968-69 men’s team claimed King’s first of two Volunteer State Athletic Conference championships, finishing the season 18-4 and 9-1 in the VSAC, averaging over 90 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field.
Nida’s first 20-win season came during the 1970-71 season, when the team finished with an overall record of 20-4, while his 1979-80 team posted a 20-9 record.
After posting a .500 record in his first year as head coach of the women’s program, Nida went on to lead the Tornado to seven consecutive winning seasons, including a trio of NCCAA National Championships in the 1987-88, 1988-89, and 1989-90 seasons. Over his final six seasons, the Tornado averaged over 25 wins per season against only four losses.
Throughout his tenure, Nida also served as King’s Director of Athletics, a position he held until his retirement in 1995. During that time, he was an integral part of the growth of King athletics and was responsible for starting many of King’s varsity sports.
Nida's athletic accolades extend far beyond Bristol. He is a 1969 inductee into the West Virginia University Institute of Technology Hall of Fame in 1969 after a career as a standout player for the Golden Bears. He graduated from West Virginia Tech in 1952 with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education, then went on to earn as Master's of Education from Marshall University in 1955.
In addition to being a member of the Halls of Fame at King and West Virginia Tech, Nida was a 2004 inductee into the Northeast Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
For all of his achievements as a basketball player and coach, Nida's greatest accomplishments may have come off the court. He served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher in three different Baptist churches and served as a spiritual counselor for death row inmates at Leiber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville, S.C.
In honor of Al Nida’s lasting legacy at King, in 2015 the Male Athlete of the Year was renamed the Al Nida Male Athlete of the Year.
